More than 1,000 freemen, many wearing black hats and red cloaks, and including actor Damian Lewis, drove a flock of sheep across the River Thames this week in the annual London Sheep Drive – an homage to a centuries-old tradition.
Channeling its reputation as ‘theme park capital of the world,’ Orlando is now in full swing for spooky season, declaring itself “Halloween Vacation Capital” and inviting visitors to discover a full slate of frightful family events in October – from haunting theme park events and kid-friendly trick-or-treat trails to terrorizing adults-only performances and Halloween-themed activities.
Spain’s Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean are named after birds for good reason. They’re the winter retreat of flocks of Europeans escaping the cold and most everyone who comes here flies in. But increasingly they’re cruise features in the fall and winter as itineraries continue to shift away from the troubled Middle East and Persian Gulf.
Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, died earlier this week. Starting in the late 1960s, the Brownsville, Texas native wrote such country and rock ‘n’ roll standards as “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Help Me Make it Through the Night,” “For the Good Times” and “Me and Bobby McGee.”
Hotels.com has released its annual Hotel Room Innsights Report uncovering surprising services and stories from more than 400 partner hotels worldwide, including Canada. This year’s report reveals astonishing items left behind by guests, wild room service orders, hidden hotel perks. and “out of this world” services offered to help accommodate today’s travellers.
Sunwing launched its winter campaign Wednesday at events in Toronto and Montreal, and virtually in the West, putting travel advisors at the heart of the travel company’s “obsessive” mission to not only deliver value to Canadians, but to effectively communicate that message.
Qatar Airways – named the world’s best airline by Skytrax in 2024 – will launch a new service to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) starting on Dec. 11, with three weekly non-stop flights to Hamad International Airport (DOH), similarly rated the World’s Best Airport.
To show gratitude to travel advisors for their “unwavering dedication, hard work and year-round commitment” to their clients, Sunwing Vacations has declared October “Sunwing Loves Advisors” month. The full 31-day fete follows similar sentiment shown in May on Travel Agent Appreciation Day in May, which the tour company says, “was simply not enough.”
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has unveiled and opened for sale the next evolution of its Prima Plus Class, the all-new Norwegian Luna. Marking the company’s 21st ship in its fleet, the ship will kick off its inaugural Caribbean season, sailing roundtrip from Miami, beginning April 4, 2026, through November 2026.
An unexploded US bomb from World War II that had been buried at a Japanese airport exploded Wednesday, causing a large crater in a taxiway and the cancellation of more than 80 flights but no injuries. Japanese Land and Transport Ministry officials said there were no aircraft nearby when the bomb exploded at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan.
“Travel agent” consistently rates as one of the most desirable professions in consumer polls (sorry, rock/movie star is even better!), yet attracting new personnel to the retail industry is clearly not as easy as it would seem.
“The Power of You” was a fitting theme for Ensemble’s recent Horizons event, where the consortium’s president Michael Johnson declared current times as nothing less than the ‘golden age of travel advisors.” Taking place in Las Vegas, the Sept. 16-19 event brought together over 800 attendees, including the network’s owners, managers, advisors, and key supplier partners, in an experience designed to inspire, inform, and empower professionals across the industry.
Heather Gerrard has joined the Sunwing Vacations sales team as business development for Alberta and the Prairie provinces. Gerrard comes from the tour operator’s inventory department, having previously worked at Signature Vacations’ call centre before moving to the operations team.
Declaring a “new era for doing business with Collette,” the 107-year-old tour operator has opened access to four new and enhanced self-service and learning tools for travel advisors. Dubbed the EnCompass Campaign, they include four main components.
Woodbridge, Ont.-based Arts & Leisure has added Liz Story to its growing team as Sales Manager, Canada. Prior to her new role, the well-known industry veteran has held similar roles at the Thomas Cook Group, Holiday House and Paul Gauguin Cruises, amongst others.
Officials in Johannesburg have proposed renaming a major street after a Palestinian woman who was involved in a hijacking more than 50 years ago, sparking criticism from several political parties and the city’s Jewish community. The city council is considering naming the street in its financial district of Sandton after Leila Khaled, a Palestinian militant and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine group.
Transat Distribution Canada is ‘humbly, carefully’ confident about the prospects for 2025, says the network’s GM Karine Gagnon, who notes that 2023 was an exceptional year for members. And while 2024 has not been quite as a strong, it has not been far behind. And “for me,” she says, “that’s a great place to be.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in collaboration with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism, has released a new report revealing the stark impact of the pandemic on woman and youth employment within the global Travel & Tourism sector.
Viking marked its historic return to China with international travellers aboard late last month as the Viking Yi Dun (formerly the Viking Sun) completed her completed her first voyage from Shanghai to Hong Kong (Shenzhen).
Southwest Airlines have unveiled their vision for Southwest 2.0, an airline that for the first time will give passengers assigned seats, charge them extra for more legroom, and offer red-eye flights. And bags still will fly free.
Jordan will welcome tourism professionals from around the globe to the next G Adventures GX Summit in 2025. The middle eastern destination was unveiled at this year’s event in India. Taking place Sept. 23-Oct. 1 and notably coinciding with World Tourism Day on Sept. 27, the event will bring together agents, suppliers, media and travellers from around the globe to experience firsthand the impact that community tourism can have.
The annual vacation down south can be a highlight for many families, but they’re made that much brighter when booked with Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts, says Sunwing Vacations. With properties set across Mexico that feature a dedicated Family Selection resort area, including Grand Palladium Kantenah Resort and Spa, Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort and Spa and Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort and Spa, families are provided the perfect setting to connect and explore paradise with maximum comfort, ease and convenience.
Hurricane Helene killed and destroyed far and wide – from Tampa to Atlanta to Asheville, North Carolina, its high winds, heavy rains and sheer size created a perfect mix for devastation.
Air Canada Vacations wrapped its fall ‘DreamMakers’ series of cross-Canada fall product launches Thursday with an enthusiastic crowd of close to a thousand travel advisors at a venue north of Toronto. The event also attracted one special guest: Sandals Resorts executive chairman Adam Stewart, who received a standing ovation when entering the stage.
Canadian travellers booking an international flight to Japan with Japan Airlines (JAL) are now eligible for a complimentary domestic flight to any destination within Japan. The International flight and a corresponding domestic flight must be made within the same reservation via JAL’s website – separate bookings for domestic flights will not be eligible.
PONANT’s groundbreaking polar expedition vessel, Le Commandant Charcot, etched its name in the annals of exploration on Sept. 12 by becoming the first vessel to reach the ‘North Pole of Inaccessibility’ – one of the most elusive and remote points on Earth. Located at the coordinates 85°48’ North, 176°09’ East, the North Pole of Inaccessibility is the farthest point in the Arctic Ocean from any land or accessible water, a place few dare to imagine reaching.
The soup-throwing days of two British climate activists have been halted, at least temporarily, when they were sentenced Friday for throwing tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” two years ago, nearly destroying one of the great masterpieces at London’s National Gallery.
In this week’s round-up, a Sunwing survey reveals Canadians’ travel intentions; the global travel industry edges ever-closer to pre-pandemic parity; a new cholera vaccine is made available in Canada; IHG has designs on Dubai’s latest epic venture: the tallest all-hotel tower in the world; how to earn a free AmaWaterways cruise – and, of course, much more.
As overtourism reaches a tipping point, Intrepid Travel has released its annual Not Hot List, featuring 10 lesser-known destinations that the tour operator believes deserve the spotlight for travel in 2025. The list seeks to address overtourism by inspiring travellers to discover different and unique experiences around the world – and that are largely off travellers’ radar – with communities that can truly benefit from more visitors.
To celebrate World Tourism Day – Sept. 27 – the TreadRight Foundation, The Travel Corporation (TTC)’s not-for-profit arm, is launching the first segment of a new three-part video series, created in collaboration with its project partners, Trees For Life, GreenWave, and Rainforest Rescue. The series aims to educate guests and industry partners about the power of nature-based solutions in mitigating the climate crisis.